KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF INDOOR USE OF PESTICIDE IN HOUSEHOLDS OF HAWASSA CITY AND ITS POSSIBLE HEALTH IMPACTS, SIDAMA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Pesticides are widely used in homes to prevent or control pests, diseases, and other animal pathogens to improve the public health quality. However, improper use of pesticide has consequences of human health effects. In country, the impacts of pesticides are likely to be aggravated by the limited knowledge among users on toxicological and chemical properties of these substances. This study was designed to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of indoor use of pesticide in households of Hawassa city and its possible health impacts, Sidama national regional state, Ethiopia. To achieve this objective, essential information was gathered from six sample kebeles based on mixed research design. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently. In this survey 217 households were selected from six sample kebeles then distributed according to the numbers of households in each Kebele. This study finding indicates the most common pests’ troubled households in the homes were cockroach, house fly, bed bugs, mice, mosquitoes and lice 45.4%, 23.4%, 13.7%, 7.8%, 5.9% and 3.9% respectively. In order to control pests 75.6% and 24.4% of households used traditional methods and synthetic pesticides respectively. The result of the analysis indicated that the 75.6%) of respondents were said that they used synthetic pesticides at different levels, 63.4%) of the household respondents said that they used roach killer pesticides at different levels, 32.2%) of the respondents reported that untrained fathers were sprays pesticide, 49.3%) of the household participants indicated that they disposed empty pesticide containers on the open area, 65.9%) of the respondents indicated that pesticides enter in to the body via skin. This result also indicated that households mostly exposed to pesticides during spraying. They were not properly disposed and they re-used pesticide containers for various purposes in their home. As survey finding indicated that improper use of pesticides in home is the consequences of human health impacts in the study area. In general, the majority of households have low level of awareness in the study area concerning their practice related to pesticide use. Therefore, there should be an integrated effort from governmental and nongovernmental organizations that focus on the awareness rising of households on proper pesticide use and safety measure practice management related issues.